Astronomer Derek Kief of the MacMillan Space Centre in Vancouver says Richmond residents have a number of good viewing opportunities to see what should be a particularly eventful Perseid meteor shower this week.
He cites Garry Point Park as a convenient place to see the Earth move through Comet Swift-Tuttle's dust (rock and ice) trail from 1992.
"A friend of mine who's an astronomer has said he's been there many times and there's been great viewing," said Kief, who added the peak of the shooting stars runs from Aug.11 to 15.
The key to viewing is to make sure city lights are not in front of you, said Kief, meaning south Richmond's dykes and parks are the most convenient places with above average viewscapes.
This month a new moon will mean darker skies and 50-100 meteors per hour will appear across the northeast portion of the sky, depending on the darkness of one's location.
Here are some suggested viewing spots:
Iona Beach Regional Park - If you have the time to drive somewhere Iona offers a dark place, in front of the University of B.C. endowment lands, within reasonable driving distance.
Garry Point Park - The western most edges of the park escape the lights of Steveston.
Finn Road - Park your car along the side of the road; darkened farmland is straight ahead.
Finn Slough dog park - Bring the pooch and go to the dog park, which is also accessible from No. 3 Road.
London Road vicinity - There's a walking path overlooking farms near the south end of No. 2 Road and just north of London Road.
Any East Richmond road - Find a backroad away from the city. One option could be Dyke Road beyond the Riverport entertainment complex.
A neighbourhood or school park - The further away from City Centre the better.
